An ex-NYPD detective allegedly used his knowledge of police procedure to keep the operation afloat.

Nc11383/Dreamstime.comCurrent and former New York City police officers were found at the center of a major prostitution and gambling ring.

Seven active members of the New York Police Department (NYPD)—three sergeants, two detectives, and two police officers—were arrested and stripped of their badges on Wednesday for allegedly facilitating a prostitution and gambling ring in Brooklyn and Queens. They face charges for enterprise corruption, promoting prostitution, and official misconduct, according to news reports.

Retired NYPD detective Ludwig Paz and his wife, Arelis Peralta, a former prostitute, are believed to be the leaders of the operation. Paz has been charged with promoting prostitution and enterprise corruption. A three-year Internal Affairs Bureau probe into police-protected brothels, surveillance, undercover operations, and wiretaps led to the arrest of 40 civilians and the questioning of an additional 30 police officers. Much of the investigation is focused on the Brooklyn South Narcotics Squad.

Investigators reportedly found that in some instances prostitutes were directed to give sex and massages to officers as a way to congratulate them for their work. The ring, which is believed to have brought in $2 million between August 2016 and September 2017, used online ads and a knowledge of NYPD procedures to stay in business.

NYPD Commissioner James P. O'Neill released the following statement in response:

Message from @NYPDONeill: (Tweet 1 of 3) "Today, those who swore an oath & then betrayed it have felt the consequences of that infidelity. The people of this Department are rightly held to the highest standard, & should they fail to meet it, the penalty will be swift & severe."

(Tweet 2 of 3) "I thank Deputy Commissioner Joseph Reznick for the thorough investigation performed by the Internal Affairs Bureau, in partnership with the Queens District Attorney's Office, in rooting out this illicit activity."

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That reminds me, I mentioned the off-Broadway drug den in Paterson this morning to a detective from the NJ Office of Homeland Security. To be frank, I'm surprised she didn't know where it was. The drug dealers painted their colors in the street so that the local cops knew to avoid the area. What type of national security officer can't find a terrorist organization when it literally paints signs in the street to make everyone aware of its location?

Ok, so - shitty cops. But these things shouldn't have been crimes in the first place. I don't look down on drug users, drug dealers, prostitutes, pimps, johns, ect *because they're breaking immoral laws*. I don't look down on cops who refuse to enforce immoral laws.

Not certain I should be hating on these guys for what they've done here even if they are cops.

Its kind of a tricky moral question. What *have* they done that would be wrong if anyone else did it?

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